“The 2014-2015 Akron-Westfield Master Contract provides us some stability,” said A-W Shared Superintendent Randy Collins. “Board members commented how nice it’ll be focusing on teaching a year from now instead of negotiating.”

“(The two-year contract) sends the right message to our staff — that they are valued and are here to stay,” he told the board at their March 10 meeting.

Board members couldn’t remember the last time the school district had a two-year contract. The consensus was that it was prior to 1998 — before any current members were on the board and Board Member Jodi Thompson was the district’s business manager.

This contract, negotiated between the Akron-Westfield Education Association with Collins and district’s attorney Jim Hanks representing the board, includes a 4.15 percent total package increase each year.

According to A-W Business Manager Jodi Ryan, this is a $1,950 base increase per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) position.

A stipulation here is only current certified staff who achieve a BA+45 will be allowed to get this lane money. With the 2014-2015 salary schedule, the BA+45 is eliminated; therefore, all new staff must earn an MA degree to move from a BA+30 lane.

• MA+15; and

• MA+30.

The cost related to the schedule lane changes one-half will be applied in 2014-2015 and half will be applied in 2015-2016, said Ryan, adding insurance costs decreased and IPERS retirement benefits remained the same.

“So most of the raise basically went straight to salaries,” said Ryan.

“The AWEA agreed to a cash-basis, which means it will really help our younger teachers become more competitive with nearby districts,” said Collins, repeating that is a $1,950 per FTE increase annually.

Cash basis means each FTE (teacher) got the same amount of money regardless of what their current salary is. Percentage basis means the increase is a percentage of their current salary so an increase for a veteran teacher would have involved more cash than what a less veteran teacher would have gotten: 4.1 percent of $50,000 as compared to 4.1 percent of $35,000, said Collins.

The final hiring schedule base for a teacher with a BA Degree is $29,803, which includes Teacher Supplemental Salary pay.